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| Inside the bird hide |
Thursday was a beautiful autumn day and I certainly made the most of it with a fairly strenuous walk in the morning followed by a relaxing stroll round the Reserve in the afternoon. The main excitement of the visit was just outside the Reserve, however, as I drove past the thicket that lies between the Church and the Reserve. There was a Great Spotted Woodpecker clearly visible in a tree near the road, something we don't see very often in this area. By the time I had found a safe place to stop and grabbed my bins and camera it had of course gone! I walked along the road looking for it and later walked through the churchyard likewise, but to no avail. I was looking out for it in the Reserve too but there were very few birds about at all, not even Jemima our resident duck. Here is the report:
Birds:
SC209693 Robin
SC208694 Goldfinches heard but not seen; Robin.
SC208694 Robin
Butterflies:
SC208695 Red Admiral
SC209694 Red Admiral
Ladybirds and Bugs:
SC209694 7-spot Ladybird
SC208695 1 Adult and 7 Green Shieldbug nymphs
SC208695 Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph ( to be confirmed)
SC209695 unidentified bug on cushag ( ragwort)
Other:
SC209695 30+ Noon Flies on tree trunk in sun
SC209695 Giant Willow Aphids still on the willow
SC209695 tiny caterpillar on Cushag ( ragwort)
SC209695Eristalis tenax x 2 Hoverflies + another unidentified Eristalis species.
SC210694 Several Common Earwigs and Woodlice inside the noticeboard
SC209694 Tremella fungus has increased in size
Cushag ( Ragwort) can be a controversial plant but it is well known for being highly beneficial for wildlife. Even at this time of year it is worth stopping to examine what is enjoying it's nectar and shelter.
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| unidentified caterpillar |
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| Eristalis tenax Hoverfly |
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| Eristalis Species Hoverfly |
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| Eristalis tenax Hoverfly |
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| unidentified bug in Cushag |
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| different view of same bug |
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| Angelica still in flower |
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| Hogweed in flower still in places |
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| Holly Berries - makes me think of Christmas |
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| Common earwig on noticeboard |
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| 7-spot Ladybird on Marsh Woundwort |
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| Not another ladybird but a Shieldbug nymph - probably Hawthorn |
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| Green Shieldbug nymph |
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| and another |
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| Tremella fungus has grown |
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| Cut meadow area |
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| Great Willow aphids |
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| Last of the ox-eye daisies |
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| no sign of any wild fowl |
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| woodlice recycling the cardboard on the noticeboard |
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| Noon flies congregating in the sunshine |
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| Red Admiral among the blackberries |
With thanks to Steve Crellin for Fly identification
Please click on photos to enlarge them
